Skip to content

A chapter of:

Nurses on Boards

Background

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommended in its landmark 2010 report, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, that nurses should be represented on boards, executive leadership teams and other key leadership positions.

Why Nurses on Boards?

  • Nurses represent the largest segment of the healthcare workforce
  • Nurses are considered the most trustworthy of all professions and have been for 25 years (Gallup, 2025)
  • Nurses are at the frontline and serve as leaders across the continuum of healthcare settings
  • Nurses bring their unique perspective, knowledge, skills and experience into the boardroom
  • Nurses make a significant impact on the health of our communities

Nurses on Boards Coalition

In order to advance more nurses on boards, the Nurses on Boards Coalition (NOBC) was established in 2015 by a broad group of national nursing organizations. The national goal of 10,000 nurses on boards was achieved on target in 2020 through the partnership and work of many organizations.

NOBC’S NEW GOAL: 30,000 Nurse-held Board Seats by 2035

To continue building on the extraordinary success over the past decade, the NOBC has expanded its global vision for nurse leadership and set a bold new goal of 30,000 nurse-held board seats by 2035. This new goal reflects the full continuum of governance roles nurses hold across sectors and communities and includes formal board seats, committees, councils, advisory groups, elected and appointed roles and governance experiences that begin as early as nursing school. This expanded model ensures that nurses everywhere see themselves in this movement and that their leadership is counted and celebrated. MOLN will take a lead role in Minnesota in collaboration with other nursing organizations and key partners to advance this goal.

Steps You Can Take to Serve on a Board

Resources

Scroll To Top